This invention relates to a sound reproducing device, particularly to a sound reproducing device intended for a recording medium on which sound information and character information represented by one or more languages are recorded so that the sound information is reproduced and the character information is displayed on a display portion.
The character information described above includes not only characters but also numeric characters and symbols, and should be identified as what is called text data.
Whether domestically produced or imported, a large number of compact discs (CDs) on which music programs are recorded are conventionally sold. Users reproduce the music programs recorded on the CDs by utilizing CD players.
It is prescribed that this kind of CD should be 120 mm in diameter. The music program is recorded in an area whose inside diameter is 50 mm and whose outside diameter is 116 mm. When the music program is reproduced, operations such as start and termination of reproduction are controlled by detecting the areas before and behind the above area, that is, an area called a lead-in which is inside of the diameter of 50 mm and an area called a lead-out which is outside of the diameter of 116 mm.
In the meantime, a technique called CD-TEXT has been proposed recently for recording the character information regarding the music program that is recorded on the CD in the lead-in area and the program area of the CD so that the character information is displayed in a predetermined display portion when the music program is reproduced. This technique allows the user to listen to the music program while looking at the character information displayed in the display portion.
Moreover, the character information represented by a maximum of eight types of languages can be recorded.
In the present situation, however, a technique to display the recorded character information, which is represented by a plurality of languages, in the languages desired by the user has not been established yet. Therefore, a technique that allows the user to choose his desired languages and allows the character information to be displayed in the desired languages has been awaited.
On the other hand, if the user has to choose his desired languages each time the CD is reproduced, there is a possibility of increasing the user""s burden of operation, thereby causing inconvenience.
The present invention is made to solve the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a sound reproducing device that is able to display character information in languages corresponding to a user""s wishes without increasing the burden on the user.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a sound reproducing device intended for a recording medium on which sound information and character information represented by one or more languages are recorded so that the sound information is reproduced and the character information is displayed on a display portion, comprising priority order setting means for setting in advance an order of priority of languages in which the character information is displayed, and control means for displaying the character information on the display portion by reading out the character information from the recording medium on a basis of the order of priority set by the priority order setting means. According to the present invention, the user sets in advance the order of priority of the languages in which the character information is displayed by the priority order setting means. Here, a case in which only one language is set is also included. In other words, this case is considered as the case wherein only the language of the first priority is set. Then, when the sound information recorded on the recording medium is reproduced, the control means reads out the character information from the recording medium on the basis of the set order of priority so that the read-out character information is displayed on the display portion. In this way, if the user sets in advance the order of priority of the languages in which the character information is displayed, there is no need to set his desired languages every time the sound information is reproduced. In addition, the character information represented by the desired languages is displayed on the display portion based on the order of priority set in advance. Therefore, the display of the character information in the languages corresponding to the user""s wishes can be made without increasing the burden on the user.
In this case, if it is configured in such a manner that an internationally common code established in advance in correspondence to each language is used when the user set the order of priority of the languages by the priority order setting means, the configuration relating to the entry, interpretation and the like of the codes in the priority order setting means can also be used commonly throughout the world, thereby obviating the trouble of changing the configuration of the priority order setting means for each country in which it is used.
Further, as there may be some cases in which the character information represented by the languages specified in the order of priority is not recorded on the recording medium to be reproduced, it is preferable that the control means displays on the display portion the purport that the character information cannot be displayed. Thus, the user can instantly recognize that the character information cannot be displayed.
Moreover, it is preferable that the control means displays on the display portion the types of languages in which the character information is recorded on the recording medium to be reproduced. Thus, the user can instantly recognize the types of languages in which the character information is recorded on the recording medium.
Additionally, it is preferable that when the languages in which the character information is displayed are specified individually by an individual specification means, the control means gives precedence to the individually specified languages over the order of priority set in advance, in reading out the character information from the recording medium and displaying the read-out character information on the display portion. Thus, even if the character information represented by the languages specified in the order of priority is not recorded on the recording medium, it is possible to specify other languages so that the character information represented by the specified languages is displayed on the display portion.
As one of the recording media on which the sound information and the character information represented by one or more languages are recorded, a compact disc (CD) can be cited. However, the above recording media also include a minidisc (MD), a digital audio tape (DAT) and the like.